I never pretended to have an appreciation for art or anything visual, for that matter.
But the esteemed magazine has been running a cartoon caption contest for a couple of years, and I do have an appreciation for choosing between the right word and just the right word -- the difference, according to Mark Twain, between "lightning" and "lightning bug."
For months, I looked at the contest, shook my head and moved on. A few weeks ago, however, the right caption leaped into my head and I entered. The cartoon is shown below:
My caption was: "It's the North American preening thongbird."
What was the winning entry, submitted by one Sandy Sommer of St. Louis? The humdrum yuk yuk: "It's a thongbird."
What I know about humor is this. To rise above the mundane, a gag can't go directly from setup to punchline. Otherwise it is a "knock knock" joke or a mere pun. A good gag needs a third, external, element. In this case that element is "North American preening."
Disagree with me if you will about that, and I certainly disagree with the reputation of The New Yorker. You may call it the finest collection of contemporary literature and humor in the world, but I say it's spinach, and to hell with it.
I agree with you! You're entry was MUCH beteter! He has the book, he's pointing... you need the extra adjectives to make it good. They dropped the ball on this one! Your reply was the clear winner.
ReplyDeleteIt's OK, bunky...yours was better.
ReplyDeleteI SENT A CARTOON TO THE NEW YORKER ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO. IT PICTURED AN IGLOO. A VOICE FROM INSIDE CAME DRIFTING OUT THRU THE CRAWLHOLE, SAY; 'HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW THE WINTERS SEEM TO BE WARMER LATELY?"
ReplyDeleteTHE HUMOR, OF COURSE, LAY IN THE FACT THAT ARCTIC WINTERS NEVER WAVERED. NO HUMOR TODAY, WITH THE ICECAP MELTING.
NEVER HEARD A WORD BACK, BUT THAT'S PAR FOR MOST MAGAZINES...